Tag Archives: Unicef

A ROUND-UP this time, of reports and photographs from recent events, projects and plans, including some new pages to take note of…• Windows of Opportunitytakes a look at plans and proposals for St John’s Church, Bridgetown, and includes an introductory video by Reverend Steve Jones. Find the new page under Projects.• Caring Town Information Exchange is based in the Mansion on Fore Street in Totnes, and is a signposting service for local people around health, care and wellbeing needs. Their new page is under Community.
• And in case you missed the announcement first time around, Friends of St Mary’s now have a menu all of their own, with details of the recently-launched Membership Scheme.
[Scroll down for tasters of all of the above.]St Mary’s Fabric Committee have been busy, too, making recommendations. See their checklist, below, for ideas to ‘reduce clutter’ within the church.
Forward dates for the Tuesday Afternoon and Evening House Groups, and likewise for the Crosspark Book Club, are further down this post, under Community News.
Three special services are coming up, in Dartington, Totnes and Cornworthy.Entertainments-wise, you’ll have to decide between two evening events on Saturday 15th July – one at St John’s, the other at St Mary’s. Or if you feel like some coffee and conversation, there are now three choices each week – History at St John’s continues on Saturdays; there’s a newly-launched Community Café on Wednesdays (also at St John’s) – and there are the ongoing Tuesday Specials at St Mary’s, which are proving especially popular with those who’ve been enjoying sitting outside in the recent sunshine. Plus Mary Harris is having a Garden Party on Sunday 30th July, with a Bring & Buy stall, cream teas and other goodies – in aid of St John’s windows and refurbishment fund.PS If you haven’t yet gotten hold of the JulyParish Newsletter, there’s a contents list below and a link to download the extended, colour version. Note that voluntary annual subscriptions for the Parish Newsletter are now due – please contact Julian Hall for a donations envelope, or see him at St Mary‘s on Sundays.

SPECIAL SERVICES in Dartington, Totnes & Cornworthy

Sunday 9th July at 6pmDartington HallWays with Words
CELEBRATORY SERVICEWe are delighted to welcome John Bell from the Iona Community to be the speaker at this special service. John Bell is well-known hymn writer, author, speaker and resource worker and he will be joined by poet, priest, photographer and artist, Ian Adams, for this celebratory service taking place in the Ways with Words Literary Festival. Music will be provided by our own Ashprington Community Choir, directed by Liz Chandler together with Divertimento and Diocesan Consultant for Liturgy and Music, Andrew Maries. The service will be led by Reverend Jane Frost, Totnes Team Curate.
• tickets are free and available on the door – so do get there early!
• download a printable A4 poster

Sunday16th July at 6.30pm
St Mary’s Church, TotnesCHORAL EVENSONGprogrammeResponses: Smith (with ‘Stone’ Lord’s Prayer)Hymn 577:Stand up and bless the LordPsalm 60Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis: Aston in FAnthem:Give unto the Lord – ElgarAnthem after the prayers:Lord I trust thee – HandelHymn 558:Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation• musical director Jan Dietz
• officiant The Rector• read about St Mary’s Choir

Sunday 30th July at 10.30am
St Peter‘s Church, CornworthyTEAM SERVICE
• no other services on that day – except at 8am in Totnes

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturdays ongoing from 3pm to 5pm
St John’s Church, BridgetownHISTORY AT ST JOHN’SA series of events, when older residents of Bridgetown will come and share their memories of Bridgetown generally and the church in particular, while enjoying tea and cake. Newer and younger residents may like to come along to hear about life in Bridgetown in the past.
• everyone is welcome
• no tickets are needed, but there will be a bowl for donations

Tuesdays 11th, 18th & 25th July from 10.30am to 1pm’ish
St Mary’s Church, TotnesTUESDAY SPECIAL!!!!
Toasted teacake, coffee, warm welcome – every Tuesday until September. Tables and chairs outside in the sunshine (inside seating also available). In support of the Friends of St Mary’s
• more information from Sandra Nicholson on 01626 330049

Wednesdays 12th, 19th & 26th July from 10am to 1pm
St John’s Church, BridgetownCOMMUNITY CAFÉ
A place of friendship and fellowship to the community.
The café will run on a pay what you feel basis.

Saturday 15th July from 3.30pm to 5.30pmAnstey House, Jubilee Road, Totnes TQ9 5BHMESSY CHURCH BARBEQUEComing from the top of Jubilee Road, Anstey House is on your left with big wooden gates. There will be balloons outside.
Please park your car on Jubilee Road. If it is raining, the barbeque will be held at St John’s Church – if the weather looks doubtful, the decision about the venue will be made by midday, so please ring Diana Lusher (number below) if you need confirmation.
• RSVP by email / phone 01803 840702 (we need to know the numbers for catering)• more about Messy Churchhere

Saturday 15th July from 10am to 11.30am
St John’s Church, BridgetownEXPLORING OUR FAITHFinal session:Exploring ForgivenessEveryone is welcome – you don’t need to have been to any other sessions to attend this one.
• for more details, talk to any of the clergy team

NEW: Saturday 29th July at 11am
St Mary’s Church, TotnesCoffee ConcertCHARITY CONCERT
for Lymphoma AssociationLudivico Einaudi, played by Lina Okihara, supported by Totnes School of Piano.
• entry £5 – all money raised will be donated to the Lymphoma Association
• coffee from 10.30am

NEW: Sunday 30th July from 2.30pm to 5pm4 Swallowfields, Riverside, Totnes
Mary Harris is having aGARDEN PARTY
Come and enjoy her garden, meet friends and chat. You can have cream tea or tea and cakes for £5 or try the Bring & Buy stall.
• in aid of St John’s windows and refurbishment fund

PHOTOGRAPHS – click the images to enlarge them

Deanery Confirmation 18th June 2017
with the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Reverend Nicholas McKinnelThose Confirmed on this day were Amanda, Scarlet and Greg from St Mary’s, Totnes and Claire and Charlotte from South Brent.

On Track EducationStudents from On Track Education selling ‘healthy breakfasts’ outside St Mary’s Church in late May, in aid of Unicef‘s ‘Day for Change 2017’, which aims to help malnourished children grow healthy and strong. Every £1 raised is matched by The Power of Nutrition, a charitable foundation. The students made and sold their own ‘energy orbs’, smoothies and breakfast muffins, and were extremely grateful to St Mary’s for allowing them to use the space outside the church.

The Story of St. John’sSt. John’s has an interesting story to tell. Originally part of the parish of Berry Pomeroy, it was built in 1832 for the rapidly growing suburb of Bridgetown by the Duke of Somerset. Its first minister was the radical preacher, Revd. James Shore. Under his leadership, St. John’s left the Church of England for a about thirty years to become the first congregation of the breakaway Free Church of England. St. John’s is now part of the parish of Totnes with Bridgetown in the Totnes Team.
Since then Bridgetown has continued to grow. A lot of new homes were built in the post-war period, and major development continues today. St. John’s has provided pastoral care for many generations and has a long track record of community engagement and provision.Today it has become an important centre of the community and its environs, providing much more than just worship facilities. However, the social need continues to escalate and investment is needed to sustain further growth. Bridgetown has a significant loneliness and deprivation problem, and we are looking to expand our community provision – in particular at the present time in response to the national Campaign to End Loneliness. St. John’s is the only place of worship and the only major community centre on its side of the river.The church building is now in need of a major facelift to make it ﬁt for its present-day and future purpose. After a serious ﬁre in 1976 the vision of the then vicar, the Revd. Roy Harris, was for St. John’s to become a conference and community centre, as well as a worship centre. The church was reconstructed as a multi-purpose building, but unfortunately much of the work has not stood the test of time.We are now developing our Seven-year Strategy for the whole building which embodies our vision for progressive development of the interior, and an enhanced frontage and setting of the Grade II listed building and the Totnes conservation area. We are deeply committed to supporting the use of the building in many rich and diverse ways, and the well-being of those who enjoy the welcome and hospitality we naturally want to give each day…
• read the rest of this article on our new page (under the Projects menu)

ST MARY’S FABRIC COMMITTEE – suggestions & recommendations

Following meetings of the Fabric Committee and the PCC, a tour of the church was undertaken to see how the building could be less cluttered. This has resulted in a number of suggestions / recommendations to be put to both committees for approval.These are:1) To build in a large cupboard projecting from the back central wall (in the missing banner area). This would need a faculty to take out two pews from that area but would be large enough to house crockery for social events, flower arrangers‘ equipment and boxes of glasses.2) To remove the information leaflets from the porch seating – the Tourist Information function is to be taken over by the Guildhall.
3) To relocate the prayer etc. notices on the altar rail in St George’s Chapel to two smaller plastic display stands.3) To purchase modern folding chairs for the choir – number as required – and relocate them to the space beside what is no the flower cupboard in the choir vestry. The old chairs to be returned to the church hall.4) To cover the new platform unit with a suitable material cover (perhaps matching the piano cover).5) To have only one display area (by the South Door, as now) for the Friends of St Mary’s literature.6) To have one member of the congregation to have oversight of church tidiness and to be approached if items are misplaced.
• none of the above is set in stone so if you have comments / suggestions, please see Peter Rogers or email him

CARING TOWN INFORMATION EXCHANGE – now open and happy to help

Caring Town Information ExchangeSo I am a Caring Town Connector! What does that mean? I am part of the new Caring Town Information Exchange based in the Mansion on Fore Street in Totnes, a signposting service for local people around health, care and wellbeing needs.
Why are we needed? (That seems to be a common question.)Who comes to see you? (Another question – but don’t worry – it is all confidential – no names or addresses or indeed anything personal about you is recorded.)A huge variety of people come in (it’s not boring – I could chat to people all day). Those without a roof over their head who are looking for somewhere to sleep or take a shower, people who are struggling to pay their bills, those looking for help in caring for elderly parents, or people who find they have some spare time, want to volunteer in some way and are wondering how to go about it. Or perhaps they have moved to the area and are simply looking for social activities where they will meet new people…
• read the rest of this article byVictoria Patch on our new page (under the Community menu)

FRIENDS OF ST MARY’S – membership scheme

DO YOU SOMETIMES WISH you could bottle a little of St Mary’s and take it home with you?
Well, you can – by joining the Friends of St Mary’s! The Membership subscription scheme was launched in early 2017.Membership benefits include:• Access to a stunning, growing collection of online images showing our historic church in all its splendour – not to mention close-up photos of many architectural highlights that you may have missed.• Members receive email listings of all forthcoming concerts and events, with reserved seating (on prior application) for all ticketed Friends of St Mary’s events.• Last but not least,you are helping to support a variety of very worthy projects to enhance and maintain St Mary’s Church.We’ve added several new pages, under the menu heading Friends of St Mary’s:About Friends of St Mary’sFriends of St Mary’s shopFriends of St Mary’s membershipFriends of St Mary’s – joinFriends of St Mary’s Members’ Galleries

COMMUNITY NEWSwith Liz Waterson

Gardeners neededFor many years, Kris and Bill Mindang have lovingly tended the rose bushes and flower beds in front of St Mary’s in Totnes High Street. They are now elderly and Bill is in poor health, so they are no longer able to continue. Volunteers are urgently needed to help maintain this beautiful little garden, right in the heart of Totnes. It is the first thing that thousands of visitors see when approaching the ancient church.
Even one hour per month, at whatever time is convenient, would be a great help.
• contact Julian Hall 01803 867537

Tuesday Afternoon House Group
Our final meeting before the Summer break is on July 18th – we will meet at 4, Riverside, Swallowfields (Mary Harris’ house, phone: 01803 865772). We will be studying Chapter 6 Being Healthy from the book Living Faithfully by John Pritchard. Please bring your books!
• further details, Liz Waterson on 01803 849345

Tuesday Evening House Group
The Tuesday Evening House Group is meeting to discuss the bookLiving Faithfully by John Pritchard.18th July – Being Healthy (this is the last house group before summer).
• all sessions are at 3 Sparrow Road except 6th June, which will be at 25 Kings Orchard
• contact: Carolyn Stilwell on 01803 863030

Crosspark Book Club– 2017forward date for your diaryMonday 7th AugustIsland Wife: Living on the Edge of the Wild by Judy Fairbairns
(venue tba, not at Crosspark)

On saleDelicious jam, marmalade, chutney and other produce is now on sale at St Mary’s Church, Totnes – and will continue to be so for some weeks to come!
• jam jars and lids are not needed at the moment!

PARISH NEWSLETTER– the July 2017 issue is online

Parish News July 2017 – this month’s newsletter, compiled and designed by Julian Hall, features 20pages full of news, articles and information. Toreceive the extended, full colour version in your inbox each month, please email Julian Hall.
Many thanks to theadvertisers* in the latest edition!

Voluntary annual subscriptions for the Parish Newsletter are now due. Please contact Julian Hall for a donations envelope, or see him at St Mary‘s on Sundays.

This issue includes:

Doing All Things Well – by Reverend Steve Jones

It’s Just A Thought – by the Reverend Cliff Berdinner

St Bridget’s Feast Day – by Joy Hanson

Serving The People Of Devon With Joy At St Mary’s – Julian Hall

Hidden Stairs And Wall Paintings Discovered – revelations at a church near Tiverton

Transforming Plymouth Together – a conference discussing social issues

To download in pdf format right-click HERE (ctrl+click Mac), or click on the thumbnail to read online.*remember you can advertise in the newsletter – rates updated November 2016

DON’T FORGET…

Clergy days off
Thursdays (Reverend Julian) and Fridays (Reverends Debbie, Jane and Steve) – please respect this by not contacting them on those days!

Prayer
at St John’s Church, every Friday 5pm to 5.45pm
• all welcome

History at St John’s ChurchA series of events sharing memories of Bridgetown in general and the church in particular. Fuller details under Upcoming Events, above.

Pennies for Heaven
There is a collection box at the back of St John’s Church, Bridgetown, every Sunday for your pennies and two-pennies.
The box is titled ‘Pennies for Heaven’.

Churches in Totnes supporting the initiative of Plymouth Red Cross for welcoming asylum-seekersJackie Fern and Wendy Stayte, on behalf of Totnes Quakers, are asking if other churches in Totnes would be willing to join with us for making ‘Welcome Packs’ for asylum-seekers when they arrive in Plymouth.
This is part of a ‘Welcome’ scheme that has been run by the Plymouth Red Cross for many years, and the scheme involves welcoming new arrivals when they come to Plymouth, helping them find their accommodation and generally find their feet during their first month in Plymouth, befriending them and giving them practical help.
All of this is done by the volunteers of the Welcome Project.The part which Red Cross is now looking to Totnes to see if we can help, is the making of the Welcome Packs, which consist of shoe boxes containing toiletries and a few other useful items to have on arrival.
About 300 new asylum-seekers arrive in Plymouth per year, which means about 6 boxes per week. If a few other churches would join the Quakers in this practical initiative that would be very welcome.We would make the collection point for the filled boxes at the Quaker meeting house (in Ticklemore Street Totnes), and would take responsibility for taking them over to Plymouth.
• more about British Red Cross support for refugees here

You can download an invoice (Word docx file), updated May 2017 with new BACS information, for the core costs (Service, Marriage Certificate, Calling of Banns, optional Banns Certificate and heating if applicable) of a Wedding Service provided by the Totnes Team Ministry.• full detailsHERE
• if anyone would like to send us photos from their wedding service, we’d love to have some to post on the website

Rough sleepers around Totnes
We have been advised to call the Police or PCSOs on 101 to report on any rough sleepers in the area, or if we have any concerns about anti- social behaviour.
Please note the above number!

Freedom Centre websiteFor the most up to date news re the Marketplace Food Bank and The Drop In, visit the Freedom Centre Totneswebsite. This really replaces the Totnes Mobile Food Bank who are now mainly working with CAP clients. Food donations for The Totnes Mobile Food Bank can be made at Morrisons who have a brown Wheelie Collection bin for them by the Post Box at the exit.
• Marketplace Food Bank is a walk in food bank and they are working with statutory agencies to help those referred. This is also an Emergency Food Bank.

Parish Giving SchemeThere are various people using the Parish Giving Scheme who would be more than happy to answer any queries and help with the paperwork if necessary.
• please contact Julian Hall on 01803 867537 about this in the first instance

Help & Advice
The Need Help poster has recently been updated (March 2017).
• click here to download a printable A4 version

Coffee at St Mary’s Church, TotnesServers needed! It seems that quite a few people like drinking coffee after the service, but not many like serving it… Please contact one of the team if you’d like to help – otherwise it’s something that will disappear, which would be a shame!

Food Bank ItemsPlease check the sell by dates on food bank items.
I have to go through all the gifts and remove those that are out of date, empty the cans and then recycle – rather messy work. Any out of date food sent to the Food Bank which has to be disposed of by them has to be paid for. Also, very sadly, we are unable to give homemade gifts as there is provenance or dating. This is not problem at our fairs or coffee mornings, because purchaser and seller deal directly with one another. Any gifts, if you are unable to leave them in St Mary’s Church, may be left at any time in my porch. I am also collecting duvets and blankets and clothes for Mark, who will be opening the Drop In as a night shelter this winter.
• further information: Liz Waterson 01803 84934 32 Copland Meadows TQ9 6ER
• remember, we would love to receive more toiletries and household cleaning products!
• information about Food Bank opening times is here

Food Bank collectionsYou can bring your food bank donations – especially toiletries and cleaning products please – to any Sunday service at St Mary’s Church.
No need anymore to wait for the first Sunday of the month. Many thanks to everyone who donates – your help is greatly appreciated.
• you can now also take your food bank donations to Morrisons in Totnes – there is a collection bin by the toilets
• please check all sell-by dates (see above)!
• further information from Liz Waterson on 01803 84934
• more about Totnes Food Bankhere

Totnes CaringWe are always desperate for more volunteer drivers and I was wondering if any of your wonderful parishioners would be interested. If you have a little time to spare and are interested in becoming a volunteer car driver for Totnes Caring, please contact Sue Alford or Jacquie Mills on 01803 865684 or email us.
Thanking you in advance!
• download a printable poster

Totnes Church Services
Below is a handy at-a-glance summary of the various regular services in Totnes.•click here to download a printable version
• the latest version of this list is also permanently available on our Services page

The Cross in Your PocketSeveral of our ladies have been embroidering pocket crosses – they are free and can be found in St George’s Chapel.
They have been extremely popular and we have received many thanks for them. If you would like to help make some more, please contact Jean Marr on: 01803 847839• the beautiful cross pictured left (click to enlarge) was made by one of the stewards at St Mary’s Church, Totnes

Table TalkEvery third Thursday of the month at The Seven Stars, between 10am and 12noon. Meet at the large table at the back, behind the bar, for coffee, etc.
• contact Anne Binns for more information on 01803 840146

Sunday LunchesWould you like to have a roast lunch at the Albert Inn, Bridgetown, on the first Sunday of the month, with members of St John’s and St Mary’s churches?
• to book, please ring Liz Balkwill 01803 863355 or Anne Binns on 01803 840146by the previous Thursday

Meditation GroupThe Meditation Group meets at St John’s Church, Bridgetown, on the 2nd Friday of each month, from 7.30pm to 9pm.
• everyone is welcome to attend this informal group
• enquiries to Tricia Stokes on 01803 762158

For further information on any of the above Community News items, please contact Liz Waterson on 01803 849345, or email Liz

A VERY BIG UPDATE this time, full of new services, new events and masses of Community News.
Prayer is one of the big themes in this bulletin – read about the Totnes Team Ministry‘s call to prayer as part of this year’s Thy Kingdom Come week. The week itself then concludes with the Beacon Prayer Event at Exeter Cathedral.
About a week later, Messy Church also heads to Exeter Cathedral for a Messy Fiesta on Saturday 10th June. If you’re spending that day in Totnes, though, head down to Vire Island for the Totnes Christian Festival.
There’s plenty of singing going on throughout June – Choral Evensong, of course, plus Ogwell Village Choir, the Collati Singers, and the Chapel Choir of Robinson College.
Sitting outside weather is here at last, and even if it isn’t sunny or dry, if you’re near St Mary’s Church on any Tuesday until September, pop in for a Tuesday Special and enjoy refreshments and good company, and help fund Friends of St Mary’s at the same time.
Speaking of which, the recently-launched Friends of St Mary’s Membership Scheme is going well, thanks to a lot of hard work by Julian Hall and others, and as you may have noticed, we’ve added a new section to this website – including details of membership benefits and how to join.
[Making top-row space available for the new section meant moving some things around…Contacts are now under the About us menu…and the public Galleries are now under the Community heading.]
There’s news about the Vision Project, and the new Freedom Centre website. The Drop In and Totnes Street Pastors both have their latest newsletters online.
A new series of events is being launched in July, focussing on the history of Bridgetown generally, and especially on St John’s Church.
Forward dates for the Tuesday Afternoon and Evening House Groups, and likewise for the Crosspark Book Club, are further down, under the Community News section.
If by chance you haven’t yet gotten hold of the May Parish Newsletter, there’s a contents list below along with a link to download the extended, colour version.
Many thanks to everyone who has sent us information and images.• PSIn our next bulletin, we’ll be compiling feedback from recent events and fundriasers. So if you’ve any reports, reviews or photos, please send them in!

SPECIAL SERVICESin Exeter & Totnes

NEW: Sunday 4th June (Day of Pentecost) at 6.30pmExeter CathedralBEACON PRAYER EVENT
As a climax to the Thy Kingdom Come wave of prayer, the Cathedral invites us to take our prayer boxes to a special celebration service. All welcome.

Thursday 25th May from 10am to 12noon
St Mary’s Church, TotnesUnicef DAY for CHANGEOn Track Education Services Ltd will mark unicef Day for Change with a Sale of Healthy Breakfast Goodies including home-made energy orbs, smoothies and breakfast muffins.

NEW: Tuesday 30th May from 10.30am to 1pm’ish
St Mary’s Church, TotnesTUESDAY SPECIAL!!!!
Toasted teacake, coffee, warm welcome – every Tuesday until September. Tables and chairs outside in the sunshine (inside seating also available). In support of the Friends of St Mary’s
• more information from Sandra Nicholson
on 01626 330049

NEW: Wednesday 31st May at 6pmCivic Hall, TotnesTotnes Town Council
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
As some of you know we are going to commence a Community Budgeting project this year to engage with residents and business owners, ahead of setting the 18/19 precept.This idea will take place at our Annual Town Meeting.
We are laying on free refreshments and making the meeting more interactive. We really hope that we can get great numbers coming to start expressing their views and priorities. With many thanks,Catherine

Saturday 10th June
from 10.30am to 1.30pmExeter CathedralMESSY CHURCH FIESTAAll the fun of Messy Church with more people and more space…From the Exeter Cathedral website: “Messy Church is a way-of-being church for families involving fun. This event will bring all the Messy Churches of Devon together to experience a little of ‘worldwide church’ and celebrate all that God is doing. It’s also a great way to bond with your Messy Families by going somewhere together as Messy Church.” If anyone would like more information please ring Diana Lusher on 01803 840702 or 07710 222955. We then start again after the holidays on September 16th.• more about Messy Churchhere
• see some photos of Messy Church

NEW: Saturday 10th June from 12noon to 8pmVire Island, TotnesTOTNES CHRISTIAN FESTIVAL 2017A Celebration of Christian Life and Culture
You are invited to come along to this free event as a member of a local church, and bring as many people as you can!
• Speaker (pictured right): Bishop Nick McKinnel

NEW: Saturday June 17th at 7.30pm
St John’s Church, BridgetownTHE COLLATI SINGERSConducted by Trefor Farrow, The Collati Singers will sing Delius’ wordless Two Songs to be Sung of a Summer Night on the Water. The concert will also include unaccompanied arrangements of folk songs made for the King’s Singers and music by Ravel, Dowland and Whitacre.
• admission is free (retiring donations invited for the church maintenance fund)
• for further information see their website• see also their facebook page
• download a printable A4 poster

NEW: Tuesday 27th June at 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church, TotnesConcert by the CHAPELCHOIR of ROBINSON COLLEGE, Cambridge
A mixed-voice choir singing services twice a week in the wonderful setting of Robinson College’s Chapel. They also sing services on feast days and special occasions throughout the academic year. The Choir tours every year both abroad and in the UK. Previous tours have included Paris, Innsbruck and Southern Spain. ​
• retiring collection
• website
• further details tba

NEW: Saturday 1st July (launch day) from 3pm to 5pm
St John’s Church, BridgetownHISTORY AT ST JOHN’SA series of events, starting with a Tea Party, when older residents of Bridgetown will come and share their memories of Bridgetowngenerally and the church in particular, while enjoying tea and cake. Newer and younger residents may like to come along to hear about life in Bridgetown in the past.
• everyone is welcome
• no tickets are needed, but there will be a bowl for donations

THY KINGDOM COME – Totnes Team Ministry Call to Prayer

THE ARCHBISHOPS of Canterbury and York have written to every serving parish priest in the Church of England expressing their longing “to see a great wave of prayer across our land, throughout the Church of England and many other Churches” from 25th May to 4th June culminating in praying for the renewal of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
To that end we have allocated each parish within the Totnes Team, a particular day in that week in which they can invite parishioners topray for half an hour between 8am & 8pm. A representative from each church will be given a rota for participants to sign up to, to pray for 30 minutes. There will be some information in each church to aid your prayers.Various pdf and docx files are available via the links below, to help organise the week and to help support those who are participating. Please click the links or images to download the files:Prayer Booklet (pdf)Lord’s Prayer Booklet (pdf)Let Your Light Shine (docx)Prayer Rota (docx)• you can also download a printable copy of the poster

PROJECTS – in and around St Mary’s Church, Totnes

WE HAVE EMBARKED ON a scheme to restore the magnificent fabric of St Mary’s Church, and to reorder the interior of the building. At the same time, Totnes Trust has embarked on a project with us to make the area around the Church into one of an attractive and unique heritage areas.The two organisations have come together to work in partnership on this project along with the Town Council.The partnership believe that these projects can only succeed if they involve the community through extensive public consultation, and so will be running two stages of consultation at St Mary’s Church in June.
The first stage will take place on June 8th, 9th and 10th, and June 15th, 16th and 17th. The consultation will consist of a series of display boards in the church showing the rich history of the church and its surroundings, inform the public about the current situation and need, and then invite them to contribute their thoughts and ideas.The times of the consultation are:8th June 12pm – 7pm9th, 10th, 15th, 16th & 17th June10am – 4pm
We would be very grateful if you would consider volunteering to be a host. We do not expect you to be there for each session or a full session but your time would be appreciated however much you can spare. If you can or for more info, email Frances Northrop or telephone 0770 6466841• see also our Vision Project section

FRIENDS OF ST MARY’S – membership scheme

DO YOU WISH you could bottle a bit of St Mary’s and take it home with you?
Well, you can – by joining the Friends of St Mary’s! The Membership subscription scheme was launched in early 2017. Membership benefits include:• Access to a stunning, growing collection of online images showing our historic church in all its splendour – not to mention close-up photos of many architectural highlights that you may have missed.Below are a few thumbnails of images from the new galleries, more to come soon. Members can view these images at high resolution (3000 x 4000px) suitable for printing or for studying in fine detail.

Until Saturday 15th JulySt John’s Church, BridgetownEXPLORING OUR FAITHMaybe you’re new or have been coming to church for years but are unsure about some of the things we do? Or you’re wondering about how it all relates to our Christian faith? Members of the Clergy and Reader ministry team will be leading a series of six sessions on selected Saturday mornings looking at the following topics:Exploring the Bible Why do we have the Bible? Where did it come from? Personal Bible reading.Exploring Ceremonies The importance and meanings of baptism, confirmation, marriage, funerals & ordination.Exploring the Eucharist What’s Holy Communion all about?Exploring Prayer What is prayer & why do we pray? Praying alone, praying together. Different ways into prayer.Exploring the Church (Saturday 17th June)
What is the point of church? Buildings & robes. Mission & maintenance. Choirs & congregations.Exploring Forgiveness
The relevance of confession, absolution, wholeness & reconciliation.
• all sessions will take place at St John’s, Bridgetown
• click herefor more details and to book your place

WEDDINGS – updated invoice form to download

You can download an invoice (Word docx file), updated May 2017 with new BACS information, for the core costs (Service, Marriage Certificate, Calling of Banns, optional Banns Certificate and heating if applicable) of a Wedding Service provided by the Totnes Team Ministry.• full detailsHERE
• if anyone would like to send us photos from their wedding service, we’d love to have some to post on the website

COMMUNITY NEWSwith Liz Waterson

Totnes Street Pastors
The Spring 2017 Newsletter is now available to read online or download as a pdf.“Every step leaves a footprint – don’t get discouraged if it appears to be a quiet night! It’s not what we’re against but what we are for. Let’s get excited about Jesus and allow Him to shine through all that we do. He welcomed everyone. He was attractive to everyone. His message is invitational – people may choose whether or not to accept it.”
~ Reverend Les Isaac, CEO of Ascension Trust

History at St John’s ChurchA series of events starting with a Tea Party on July 1st from 3pm to 5pm, sharing memories of Bridgetown in general and the church in particular.
Fuller details under Upcoming Events, above.

Freedom Centre websiteFor the most up to date news re the Marketplace Food Bank and The Drop In, visit the Freedom Centre Totneswebsite. This really replaces the Totnes Mobile Food Bank who are now mainly working with CAP clients. Food donations for The Totnes Mobile Food Bank can be made at Morrisons who have a brown Wheelie Collection bin for them by the Post Box at the exit.
• Marketplace Food Bank is a walk in food bank and they are working with statutory agencies to help those referred. This is also an Emergency Food Bank.

Totnes Drop-In Newsletter
The Spring 2017 Newsletter is now available to read online or download as a pdf. Included is the following information…Revival Life Ministries “Drop In” to become Marketplace Drop InRevival Life Ministries is in the process of closing as a registered charity. The work of the Drop In with the homeless in Totnes is being transferred into Marketplace Ministries Ltd and will continue to help homeless people in our community. Mark Hatch, who has been the shining light of the Drop In Centre and homeless provision in Totnes for over 20, years will continue as Centre Manager of Marketplace Drop In.
From Monday 3rd April, both the name and the location of the Drop In have changed. The Drop In is now called Marketplace Drop In. The location will change as the Drop In moves across the road to 2a Burke Road. The Bank Account details for the Drop In will remain unchanged.The temporary move over the road is to facilitate the demolition of the current premises and the rebuild which South Hams District Council are undertaking. At the end of that process, Marketplace Drop In will return to a brand new purpose built provision for the homeless.To the service user, there will be no interruption of service during this transition. It will however streamline the provision by utilizing the administrative infrastructure that already exists within Marketplace Ministries Ltd. This will allow Mark to do what he loves best, to focus his time and energy on those who need him.

Churches in Totnes supporting the initiative of Plymouth Red Cross for welcoming asylum-seekersJackie Fern and Wendy Stayte, on behalf of Totnes Quakers, are asking if other churches in Totnes would be willing to join with us for making ‘Welcome Packs’ for asylum-seekers when they arrive in Plymouth.
This is part of a ‘Welcome’ scheme that has been run by the Plymouth Red Cross for many years, and the scheme involves welcoming new arrivals when they come to Plymouth, helping them find their accommodation and generally find their feet during their first month in Plymouth, befriending them and giving them practical help.
All of this is done by the volunteers of the Welcome Project.The part which Red Cross is now looking to Totnes to see if we can help, is the making of the Welcome Packs, which consist of shoe boxes containing toiletries and a few other useful items to have on arrival.
About 300 new asylum-seekers arrive in Plymouth per year, which means about 6 boxes per week. If a few other churches would join the Quakers in this practical initiative that would be very welcome.We would make the collection point for the filled boxes at the Quaker meeting house (in Ticklemore Street Totnes), and would take responsibility for taking them over to Plymouth.
• more about British Red Cross support for refugees here

Tuesday Afternoon House Group
Our new study book is Living Faithfully by John Pritchard.
• on Tuesday June 6th we will meet at 4, Riverside, Swallowfields (Mary Harris’ house, phone: 01803 865772). Please bring your books – we shall be looking at Chapter 3 together Handling Money. Tony Gregg will be leading the session
• further details, Liz Waterson on 01803 849345

Tuesday Evening House Group
The Tuesday Evening House Group is currently meeting to discuss the bookLiving Faithfully by John Pritchard.
6th June – Handling Money
20th June – Handling Our Sexuality
4th July – Facing Temptation
18th July – Being Healthy (this is the last house group before summer).
• all sessions are at 3 Sparrow Road except 6th June, which will be at 25 Kings Orchard
• contact: Carolyn Stilwell on 01803 863030

Crosspark Book Club– 2017forward dates for your diaryMonday 5th JuneNotes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
Venue: Crosspark, facilitated by Debbie ParsonsMonday 7th AugustIsland Wife: Living on the Edge of the Wild by Judy Fairbairns
(venue tba, not at Crosspark)

On saleDelicious jam, marmalade, chutney and other produce is now on sale at St Mary’s Church, Totnes – and will continue to be so for some weeks to come!
• jam jars and lids are not needed at the moment!

PARISH NEWSLETTER– the May 2017 issue is online

Parish News May 2017 – this month’s newsletter, compiled and designed by Julian Hall, features 20pages full of news, articles and information. Toreceive the extended, full colour version in your inbox each month, please email Julian Hall.
Many thanks to theadvertisers* in the latest edition!

Experience Resurrection Life By Giving – Bishop Robert Atwell of Exeter

It’s Just Not Cricket – poem by Nigel Beeton

The Way I See It – Canon David Winter

You Can Change – another extract from UCB’s Word For Today booklet (available free in both churches), see also UCB’s website

To download in pdf format right-click HERE (ctrl+click Mac), or click on the thumbnail to read online.*remember you can advertise in the newsletter – rates updated November 2016

REMINDERS…

Clergy days off
Thursdays (Reverend Julian) and Fridays (Reverends Debbie, Jane and Steve) – please respect this by not contacting them on those days!

Parish Giving SchemeThere are various people using the Parish Giving Scheme who would be more than happy to answer any queries and help with the paperwork if necessary.
• please contact Julian Hall on 01803 867537 about this in the first instance

Help & Advice
The Need Help poster has recently been updated (March 2017).
• click here to download a printable A4 version

Coffee at St Mary’s Church, TotnesServers needed! It seems that quite a few people like drinking coffee after the service, but not many like serving it… Please contact one of the team if you’d like to help – otherwise it’s something that will disappear, which would be a shame!

Food Bank ItemsPlease check the sell by dates on food bank items.
I have to go through all the gifts and remove those that are out of date, empty the cans and then recycle – rather messy work. Any out of date food sent to the Food Bank which has to be disposed of by them has to be paid for. Also, very sadly, we are unable to give homemade gifts as there is provenance or dating. This is not problem at our fairs or coffee mornings, because purchaser and seller deal directly with one another. Any gifts, if you are unable to leave them in St Mary’s Church, may be left at any time in my porch. I am also collecting duvets and blankets and clothes for Mark, who will be opening the Drop In as a night shelter this winter.
• further information: Liz Waterson 01803 84934 32 Copland Meadows TQ9 6ER
• remember, we would love to receive more toiletries and household cleaning products!
• information about Food Bank opening times is here

Food Bank collectionsYou can bring your food bank donations – especially toiletries and cleaning products please – to any Sunday service at St Mary’s Church.
No need anymore to wait for the first Sunday of the month. Many thanks to everyone who donates – your help is greatly appreciated.
• you can now also take your food bank donations to Morrisons in Totnes – there is a collection bin by the toilets
• please check all sell-by dates (see above)!
• further information from Liz Waterson on 01803 84934
• more about Totnes Food Bankhere

Totnes CaringWe are always desperate for more volunteer drivers and I was wondering if any of your wonderful parishioners would be interested. If you have a little time to spare and are interested in becoming a volunteer car driver for Totnes Caring, please contact Sue Alford or Jacquie Mills on 01803 865684 or email us.
Thanking you in advance!
• download a printable poster

Totnes Church Services
Below is a handy at-a-glance summary of the various regular services in Totnes.•click here to download a printable version
• the latest version of this list is also permanently available on our Services page

The Cross in Your PocketSeveral of our ladies have been embroidering pocket crosses – they are free and can be found in St George’s Chapel.
They have been extremely popular and we have received many thanks for them. If you would like to help make some more, please contact Jean Marr on: 01803 847839• the beautiful cross pictured left (click to enlarge) was made by one of the stewards at St Mary’s Church, Totnes

Prayer
at St John’s Church, every Friday 5pm to 5.45pm
• all welcome

Table TalkEvery third Thursday of the month at The Seven Stars, between 10am and 12noon. Meet at the large table at the back, behind the bar, for coffee, etc.
• contact Anne Binns for more information on 01803 840146

Sunday LunchesWould you like to have a roast lunch at the Albert Inn, Bridgetown, on the first Sunday of the month, with members of St John’s and St Mary’s churches?
• to book, please ring Liz Balkwill 01803 863355 or Anne Binns on 01803 840146by the previous Thursday

Meditation GroupThe Meditation Group meets at St John’s Church, Bridgetown, on the 2nd Friday of each month, from 7.30pm to 9pm.
• everyone is welcome to attend this informal group
• enquiries to Tricia Stokes on 01803 762158

Pennies for Heaven
There is a collection box at the back of St John’s Church, Bridgetown, every Sunday for your pennies and two-pennies.
The box is titled ‘Pennies for Heaven’.

For further information on any of the above Community News items, please contact Liz Waterson on 01803 849345, or email Liz